Refuge at the Malfoy Manor
by Ravenclawandslytherinqueens
Summary: The war is over, and Hermione Granger's life is once again in danger. Hermione Granger becomes a refuge at the one place she thought she would never be again, The Malfoy Manor. The ministry is under the impression that this will be the safest place for her, that's until Lucius Malfoy is released.
1. The Move

Chapter 1

Hermione Granger gasped out loud and crumbled the paper in her hand. She angrily threw it across the room and sat down, completely amazed. She had not heard his name for a couple of years now, and his family was no concern for her since the battle at Hogwarts. But now, his name appeared several times in the letter, and she had to read it repeatedly to make sure she was seeing right.

 _But this is absurd._

She used her usual manoeuvre to release her anger and paced around the room, thinking thoroughly about the situation. But nothing she could do helped her explain what was happening, who was involved, and what she should do next. She couldn't help it when her mind swayed towards _him_ , the guy she hadn't even thought of for years, and the first time she met him.

Of course she had heard of the Malfoy name before she entered Hogwarts. For one who had vigorously studied the wizard school she would be attending it was impossible to not come across one of the most ancient and richest wizarding families. His father's name appeared throughout the newspapers about business at the ministry (which she did not really understand at the time) and throughout thick textbooks and informational novels about the wizarding world. She went into Hogwarts with the name at the back of her mind as one not to be trifled with, but as she knew she would not end up in Slytherin, she wasn't concerned about interacting with him much. That was before she became best friends with Harry Potter, who was indeed Draco Malfoy's target the first time she saw him.

She could still remember him walking up the staircase, pushing everyone aside like they meant nothing to him. He turned and faced Harry, proceeding to goad him while asking him to be friends. She could still see everyone's faces in her mind- Harry's, Ron's and Malfoy's- and her younger self wondered what would become of the greatest wizards of their time. Because for her, that part was already apparent.

She had married one of them and he broke her heart, and the other took side and refused to see her if Ron was around, and the last, who she thought she would never meet again, appeared to her now in a letter, demanding for her to meet with him. 

She snapped back to reality at this thought, and determined that she wasn't going to bend to his will and do whatever he told her to do, even if it was approved by the minister of magic. She had the highest seat any woman had ever reached in the ministry, and she wasn't about to be handed over without her consent.

The letter did not contain many details. It told her that her higher-ups had determined a method to protect her from the threat discussed in the previous meeting and they were going to locate her to the safest house in the wizarding world, the Malfoy manor.

When she read the letter the first time, she thought it was a joke. _The safest house in the wizarding world? They used to be death-eaters for goodness sakes! Who knows what they have in the manor?_ _They could have a dungeon full of dark magic and no one would ever know._ As soon as she entered the manor she knew she would never be leaving. They would lock her in some room and torture her and then wipe her memory. She wasn't escaping from this mysterious 'threat', she was entering a worse one. How could the ministry forget everything the Malfoy's have done this fast? It was ludicrous!

She picked up the crumbled paper from the ground and marched to the elevator, thinking through exactly what she was going to say to the head of the Auror department. It was always the department she avoided the most, as Harry and Ron could be present at any time, although they frequently left the ministry to go on their 'secret missions'. She walked through the department rapidly, keeping her head down and avoiding any eye contact. She didn't want Harry and Ron's colleagues knowing about anything that was happening. She didn't want them to think she needed any saving. She could handle this herself like she always did.

"Hello Mr. Dawlish, I received your note, and I'd like to say first hand that I completely refuse." He glanced up at her from his desk, his grin turning into a frown as he realized who was standing in his office.

"Well Ms. Granger, it's nice to see you too." He replied, and beckoned her to sit at the chair across from him. She complied, but continued to glare at him.

"We both know this isn't about my safety. You work closely with Harry and Ron and you believe whatever story Ron told you and you're trying to get back at me for god knows what. Well, I'm here to tell you that this isn't a joke. You don't know what will happen to be in the Malfoy manor, and I don't think this little petty thing you have with me is worth risking my life."

"Ms. Granger, this has nothing to do with the personal life between you and your ex-husband, and for your information, I am the head of a department that has no time to gossip about trivial matters such as this. My job is to provide safety to as many witches and wizards as I can and this is the best way the Minister and I can ensure your safety. Draco Malfoy is the new head of the Malfoy house, and has never in any instance made us question his loyalty to our policies and laws. Please refrain from calling out false accusations in my office, as they can be dealt with seriously." He finished calmly and folded his hands across his lap. They sat for a few moments in silence, and Hermione could tell John Dawlish was feeling uneasy by her lack of response.

"Very well then," She stood up and smiled, "I will go speak with Mr. Malfoy and discuss our arrangements."

"Well… alright", he replied, shocked. "Please make sure no one knows of this matter other than the Minister, the residents of the Malfoy manor, and you and I. This is a very serious matter that concerns with your safety, and we're not exactly sure which individuals are part of the threat working against you at this moment. You are to be located at the manor in exactly 24 hours, are we clear?"

"Yes, sir. Have a nice day." She replied, and left the office, closing the door behind her. 

She acted casually as she hurried her way throughout the offices and cubicles, rushing to pick up everything she needed from her office.

As she passed her secretary's desk, she called back to tell her she wouldn't be back for a few days and to forward any emails or important calls to her if needed. Hermione's secretary, Kate, was alarmed but agreed before Hermione rushed off into the floo powder network.

She reached her small apartment in London in less than a few seconds, giving her little time to plan everything she was going to take to go off the radar of the magical world. She grabbed her emergency bag and stuffed everything she could think of inside. Clothes, food, books, magical items, all of her muggle and wizard money, and anything she knew she would miss if she left behind. She knew she only had a few minutes before they would figure out she never went to Malfoy's office and never planned on ever heading to the manor. She was lucky this Dawlish guy didn't know her very well, or he would've seen through her act straight away.

She grabbed her last belonging before hearing a loud knocking sound at the door, and voices angrily calling out her name. "Miss Granger, open this door this instance and this doesn't have to get ugly for the both of us. I don't want to have to restrain you." It was Mr. Dawlish, and she wondered how he figured it out so fast. _Must be how he got to be the head of Aurors._

She appareted off without thinking of where she was going to go, and appeared at a muggle bookstore she visited whenever she needed to get her mind off of things. Hermione regained her composure and ordered a cup of coffee. She needed time to figure out what she was going to do next.

She knew she couldn't ask Harry or Ron for help, she wasn't in deep enough trouble yet to bring down her pride and ask them for help when they both refused to speak to her. And still, she didn't even know if they would even be on her side of the matter. _Don't be silly Hermione, Harry hates Malfoy a lot more than you do, of course he would see it your way._ But she also didn't believe he would pick Ron's side in the fight and look what happened.

She could visit her parents and stay with them for a few days until she figured it all out, but that was where they would expect her to go, and if the people who were hunting her found her first, she didn't want her parents to be put into danger.

Hermione never felt more alone than she did, sitting in the coffee shop with all her belongings in her backpack and no one she could turn to to ask for advice or lean on for help. She almost missed the old days, where she was too busy trying to figure out how to defeat Voldemort that she never even had the time to think of her future, and in the back of her mind she always thought her future would be Ron.

A figure sitting across the table from her snapped her out of her thoughts, and she had no time to react before he looked up at her and smirked, then ordered some coffee for himself.

She was so shocked and amazed that no words would come out, so she watched helplessly as the waitress delivered his coffee and added milk and cream to the mixture.

"Are you ever going to say anything?" He said, stirring his drink lazily.

"How did you even find me? How could you possibly find a tiny bookstore in the middle of London where I've been sitting for only a few moments?"

"I have my methods. It wasn't that difficult really. How long did you think you could possibly hide before they found you? I'm saving you from all the hassle and embarrassment." He grinned at her, and she turned red with anger.

"I could have apparated anywhere I wanted, and I can do the same right now, what makes you think I'm going to sit here and listen to your nonsense?" She spluttered out.

"I will find you over and over again until you get tired and we can just go back to the manor."

"But…" She started, and he looked up at her from his drink. "Wait. Why are you even supportive of this ridiculous plan anyways? What's in it for you? I thought you would hate having a so called 'mud-blood' at your precious home."

"These are different times, Hermione." She gasped as he said her name. "Haven't you heard? All the wizards and witches are _friends_ now. It's great. The dark lord is gone, we're all in peace now!"

"You didn't give me a straight answer."

"It's none of your business. You're the one breaking the law and going against the ministry's business right now, not me. So either you come with me right now compliantly or I force you to come. Your choice."

She bit her lip and tried to think through some kind of plan while Malfoy sat at his chair and sipped at his coffee, watching her.

"Take your time." He shrugged back his hood and leaned backwards against the chair. It was the first time since their encounter that Hermione had time to access how much he had changed over the years. His hair was longer and no longer streaked back, its pale yellow remained the same and rested softly on his head. His eyes were darker now, more serious, and it seemed as if years of wear as an adult made his features hard and less childlike. It didn't seem like he smiled or laughed much anymore, though she could see hints of smile lines at the corner of his eyes. He wore a dark hooded jacket with a white dress shirt and tie underneath, and she wondered if he had hurried to find her from the office.

"Don't you have work to do or something?" She said, after a long bout of silence.

"I'm doing my work right now." He replied, "Please, take as long as you can, this is much more entertaining than the stack of paperwork I have on my desk right now."

 _I won't give him the pleasure then._ She stubbornly stood up and paid for the bill, and exited the store, not waiting to see if he was following. As she heard his footsteps catch up next to her she looked back and asked, "Well, where are we going now then?" He took her hand without saying a word and before she could shout at him to let go they appeared at the front of her apartment unit, and she gazed at him quizzically.

"Don't you need to pack or something? Get whatever you need, we don't know how long you'll be staying at the manor for." She nodded and grabbed her key, but before she could turn the handle the door opened slowly, revealing a living room that was in complete shambles. She gasped loudly and ran into the room, and checked around to see the rest of the space. The whole apartment was ransacked and she had no idea what was taken or who had done it. "Blimey Granger, you really have to clean up sometime."

She glared at him, exasperated. "This isn't a joke, Malfoy. This is my home, and someone destroyed it." Not only had they destroyed it, they worked very hard to make it completely unliveable. All her plates and cups were shattered on the floor and her cushions were ripped out, and there were feathers everywhere she looked. Her clothes were ripped to pieces and she could not find anything of value, such as the TV or her computer. She tried to control her emotions, and she wiped a tear falling down her cheeks before Malfoy would notice.

He gave no sign of noticing her distress and whistled loudly at the mess while trying to avoid the glass pieces on the ground. "Please stop touching my things, it's rude."

"Doesn't seem like there's much of anything to touch anymore." He replied quickly, "We're lucky the Manor will have everything you need to feel comfortable. Come, there's no point in staying here anymore." He walked towards the front entrance, looking back to see if she was following.

"I know someone like you wouldn't understand something like this but this was a big deal for me. It was the first thing I really paid for by myself and I cared for it with all my heart. I can't just leave it like this and run off. I need some time." She started to tidy up the house, grabbing a broom and sweeping up the glass.

"You and everyone else think I've had everything in my life handed to me, and you think you know everything about me. Well, you don't. So don't pretend I'm some monster who's never cared about anything in my life." She ignored him and continued sweeping, "Why am I even explaining anything to you anyways? The fact is, you're in danger, someone who wants you dead came to your house and did this. This should be a sign that we should be leaving ASAP. And you're a witch, why do you even have a broom in your house?" He grabbed the broom from her and threw it across the room. Before she could react, he grabbed her arm and they apparted in front of the Malfoy Manor.

Hermione glanced up at the grand gates that loomed in front of them and wiped the tears from her face, "You have got to stop doing that."


	2. The Malfoy Manor

Chapter 2

Hermione looked up at the gates, the large thick gates hiding the extravagant manor. Vines wrapped their way elegantly around the iron gates, giving them an antique appearance. Hermione suppressed a shiver, recalling the last time she was here. She hadn't even noticed the gates that time. Everything was a blur, from Harry's swollen face; the only thing that she remembered vividly was the torture. Malfoy had brought her out of her reverie as he tapped his wand onto on of the iron bars, and the gates flung open revealing the infamous Malfoy manor. The antique beauty of the house immediately captivated Hermione as she followed Malfoy up the extremely long driveway. The drive way had a fountain in the middle with a statue of a petite girl, Hermione recalled from her pre-Hogwarts reading being that the statue was of the first daughter of Alstar Malfoy's, before she got violently ill, and passed. Her eyes continued down the expansive green grass to reveal the most extravagant Rose garden. She would have to make a mental note to revisit the garden later.

Once they reached the main entrance the door slowly opened revealing a tiny little house elf. The house elf bowed toward Draco, with a huge smile plastered on its face much to Hermione's surprise. Draco bowed back before entering the house. "Master Malfoy" the house elf looked towards him, then back towards Hermione.

"Jenny, this is Hermione Granger, she will be joining us for a little while here." Draco addressed the elf with such respect Hermione could hardly believe her eyes.

"Hello Ms. Granger. Jenny… Jenny the house elf, it will be my pleasure to help you with anything you need during your stay."

"Thank you!" Hermione smiled down at Jenny, still completely in shock regarding Malfoy's behavior. Hermione learned pretty fast that the house elves loved to serve, and to deny them in fact made them upset.

"Miss Granger" came a gentle voice; Hermione moved her attention from the elf to the extravagant double staircase. On the right side of the stairs that were interconnected at the top, was a tall, elegant blond woman, she recognized to be Draco's mother. Her robes were thick, and expensive, but added to her air of elegance. "It's very nice to see you again." She smiled gently.

"Mrs. Malfoy" Hermione forced a smile. "Likewise" Hermione could not believe she was standing in the house she was tortured during the war, for her safety. Narcissa proceeded towards Hermione and extended her arm. Hermione tentatively took her arm, and shook it.

"Mother" Malfoy addressed his mother bending his head to kiss her cheek. Until now Hermione hadn't noticed how tall, and broad he had gotten. He filled out his suite, and stood a good foot above her giving him about six feet five inches. I guess it was true, that men grew taller later than woman.

"Draco" She nodded "I prepared a room for you Miss Granger. Please feel free to decorate it as you wish." Narcissa smiled. Hermione smiled back.

"Thank you."

Draco nodded before indicating for them to leave. Hermione took her leave politely excusing herself. The manor had changed quite a bit, the halls no longer radiated fear, but warmth. The colours were neutral but warm. The halls were decorated with beautiful paintings and lush thick carpets. Hermione was lead up the stairs, towards the east wing of the house. Once they reached a pair of double French doors, Draco turned to reach the handle before opening the door. He turned towards her and outstretched his arms indicating for her to proceed in. Draco however seemed to have a perplexed look on his face as he looked into the room. Hermione tentatively stepped in to see a room covered in light pink. The carpets were fluffy and pink, the walls were a pixy dust pink, and in the middle lay a four-poster bed with a pink fluffy comforter and pink throw pillows laid elegantly on top of the bed. To the right of the bed as a white make up table, and the left had a mahogany desk. The bedroom looked like every little girls dream room; hell this was probably her dream room when she was six. She supposed Narcissa had some dream baby girl she never got, and this room was always in the back of her mind.

"I am sorry…" Draco laughed, "I guess Mom went a little over board…" Did Malfoy, Draco Malfoy just laugh? Hermione was beyond shocked; all she ever saw him do was smirk.

"It's okay," She said through a forced smile. "Hopefully its temporary"

"My room is directly down the hall," Draco pointed down the hall to a pair of dark mahogany doors. "Incase you ever need anything"

"Thanks." Hermione replied playing with the ends of the pink curtains.

"The manor is huge, so call Jenny if you need help finding anywhere. She is a great conversationalist too, for when you are walking around."

Hermione nodded, wanting very much to lie down and process everything. "Dinner is also at 6:30 which is in half an hour, so if you would like to wash up, there is a bathroom right there" Draco said pointing to a door across her bed she didn't even notice. "Only thing is it's connected to my bathroom as well, so make sure you lock my side too when your using it!" He pointed out. A huge house like this and it had shared bathrooms? That was a little odd.

Draco left the room and Hermione collapsed onto the plush bed. As she collapsed the smell of roses intoxicated her. She rolled over to smell the mattress and to her surprise the bed was made of rose petals. The only perk at this point was probably the mattress. It was probably going to be the most amazing bed she had ever laid upon.

6:30 struck and Hermione called the house elf to help her find her way around. "Jenny."

"Jenny the house elf!" Came the voice of the small creature. "How may I help you miss?"

"Could you show me where dinner is?" Hermione asked. The elf smiled up at her looking her up and down. "Wearing that?" The house elf asked.

"Yes…" Hermione replied, noticing that the elf had changed from her previous clothes, to a cute little white dress with pink polka dots.

"Do you have a dress miss?"

"Yes…" Hermione was beyond puzzled.

"Can Miss wear the dress?"

"Uhm sure" Hermione reached into her purse and pulled out a cute knee length summer dress with roses. The top cupped her breast nicely, and the bottom flowed out covering her bum and thighs. The elf turned around as Hermione changed.

They proceeded down the stairs; pass the foyer into a well-lit room, with dark hard wood floors, red walls, and beautiful chandelier. In the middle sat a beautiful table, with enough room for 6 people. The manor was not at all how she had imagined; it seemed since the war some major renovations were done. Hermione then noticed Narcissa in a different pair of dark green robes, the top somewhat resembled a corset, but in a classic way. Draco was wearing a suite, with a tie. Hermione was suddenly grateful that the house elf had instructed her to change. Hermione took a seat opposite Narcissa, beside Draco who has at the head of the table. After she sat down, Jenny and a few other house elves dressed in elegant little gowns sat down as well. Hermione's mouth fell to the floor. The house elves dined with the Malfoy's! Hermione quickly closed her mouth, to avoid embarrassing herself. The dinner was quite; Malfoy seemed to not be hungry, as he sat there moving his food around his plate.

"Draco is there a problem?" His mother asked.  
Draco looked up at her, and she noticed that he was even paler than usual. "There is something I need to tell you. Both of you since you are now under my protection." Draco said looking towards Hermione.  
"Father is being released from Azkaban."

Hermione froze, her fork hanging mid air, unable to move. Narcissa who was taking a sip of her wine dropped the glass, which landed with a thud onto the ground. Narcissa quickly composed herself, and grabbed her wand to clean the stain off her floors. Hermione's mind was going at a hundred miles per minute. She couldn't stop shaking; Lucious was the real mastermind behind all his families' torturous behavior, and Hermione couldn't phantom what it would be like to live with him. Hell she was probably safer on the road.

Hermione noticed Narcissa's hand was shaking despite her best efforts. For some reason Hermione reached over and placed a hand over Narcisa's who quickly looked up, smiling before placing her own hand over hers. Draco looked at the two women, confused.

Narcissa cleared her throat and Hermione removed her hands. "How did you find your bedroom?" Narcissa began the conversation.

The two seemed to get along well, talking seamlessly. His mother seemed extremely interested in the whereabouts of her great- nephew and her sister. Draco however, couldn't rip his mind off of his father's return. His father was supposed to be away for life. He wasn't going to like the changes he made around the house. In fact he was probably going to change everything back, which he was already dreading. He was rather found of the warmth his mother and him had made around the house. What was worse was that the abuse would probably start again.

His father constantly would harass him and his mother. Now that he was in his twenties his father probably wouldn't be able to hurt him, without getting something back. But his mother was always the one who got hurt the most. He hadn't seen his mother as happy as he had since his father was put away. Given that his father was probably miserable, his mother was happy. He also quite enjoyed being in charge of the family house and money; it made him feel like a real man.

What was worse was what would happen to Granger. His father was not going to welcome her with open arms. He would probably be hostile and rude, and Draco would probably get the worst of it. He suddenly didn't think that Granger was going to be so safe here. Guess his job just got a bit harder.


	3. Day One at Malfoy Manor

Chapter 3

Hermione returned to her room a little exhausted and worn out. The day felt like the longest day she's ever had and she still didn't know much of what was going on. She now resided in a home of a classmate who she hadn't seen in years and had surprised her many times during the day. She was completely blown away by everything that was the manor. It surpassed her first experience there, where most of what she could recall now included blood and screaming. She thought it would bring back terrible memories, but from what she could tell, Draco Malfoy and his mother had completely changed the place after Lucius's arrest, and it brought a pleasant and calming feel now, which was probably the most shocking part for her.

Could they be faking it to make me put my guard down? She shook her head, they didn't seem like the sort of people who would do such a thing anymore.

She walked around the room and tried to get a feel for things, after checking every corner for who-knows-what and failing, she retired onto her bed and pulled out a book to read before falling asleep.

She woke to a knock at the door. "Jenny the house elf! Breakfast will be served in 15 minutes, Miss Granger." It took Hermione a second to realize where she was and what she was doing there. At first she felt a sense of forewarn and danger but quickly relaxed when she realized she would be safe in the manor, for now.

"Thank you Jenny, I'll be down as soon as I can." She hurried to the dresser and looked through some of the clothes she hung up the night before. In addition to her own, Mrs. Malfoy had provided for her some beautiful gowns that were probably more expensive than anything she's ever owned. She decided against them and settled for a plain T-Shirt and a casual floral printed skirt.

Hermione thought she would be competent enough to find a dining room in a house, but apparently the Malfoy manor had other thoughts. She walked through the corridors for what felt like hours, and for one that despised being late, she was close to having an anxiety attack. Every hallway looked identical for her, the large windows were covered with beautiful gold and silver drapings, and ornate lanterns lit up the way as she passed. The ceilings were covered with exposed wood and the floors had a rich dark red carpet, making the manor feel royal but also comforting at the same time.

They must have an excellent designer.

Her stomach had started growling when she heard footsteps walking down from the hallway, as the figure emerged grinning she found it hard to hold back a blush on her cheeks, she couldn't believe she was in such an embarrassing situation.

"The smartest witch in our age, lost in my manor?" Malfoy said, looking incredibly smug.

"Never. Say. A word of this. To anyone." She stammered, and walked past him, not looking back.

"You're going the wrong way you know."

She turned around and glared at him, "I know. I was just testing you."

"Whatever you say."

The walk to the dining room was silent, and Hermione found it hard to fight the urge to look up at him once in a while and study his expressions. She was usually really good at reading people and understanding what they wanted, but Malfoy was a complete brick wall, impenetrable since the day she met him. Sometimes she wished there was no rivalry between Griffindor and Slytherin, and she could get to know people who didn't put their guard up every time she saw them.

She desired so badly to break down those walls, to see why he did what he did during the war, if it was an act forced to him by his father and Voldemort or something he desired to do himself, because he truly hated any non-magical folk.

"Why are you staring at me so much?" He asked loudly, and she recoiled from him, backing up a few steps. "Is there something on my face?"

"No, it's nothing." His grin fell a little when he noticed her reserved tone, "My mind was just wandering off, that's all." He said nothing until they reached the dining room, where he opened the door to let him in and left right after. As Hermione apologized for her lateness and sat down Narcissa informed her that he was heading for work and would be back later.

"Is there anything you need for your stay here? You're welcome to visit the library or any of the other rooms to pass your time." She said, passing the cream to Hermione.

"Well, I noticed you don't have any reception here, and I was hoping I could catch up on some of the work I'll be missing since they won't let me leave until the matter is resolved, do you have an owl I can use instead?"

"I'm sorry dear," Narcissa replied, pursing her lips, "I would love to give you anything you need but Draco has told me that you are not to contact anyone by any means, and I know he is doing this for your safety and by order of the minister."

"So I'm not allowed to leave the house or talk to anyone for what could be weeks? I'll go completely mad!" Hermione said, and then she was sounding very ungrateful. "Of course, I'm thankful for your help, but I just wish I have a little more free-will in this situation, and I'll be completely behind on work."

"I do hope these criminals are located as soon as possible for your sake, and I'm sure Draco is working on it," She replied, gently slicing the toast, "Since Lucius's arrest 8 years ago a lot has changed for the Malfoys, and Draco is the new head of the house now. In my heart he's still my baby boy but I've decided to trust him in matters of the household, you should also trust that he will take care of you, too."

Hermione looked down at her food, thinking through what would be the best response. She didn't want to anger the host after one day, but she decided if Narcissa was in the mood to talk a little more her family, Hermione would put in some input about how she really felt.

"It's just that, your family has been regarded as one of the greatest supporters of Voldemort," Narcissa looked up at her sharply at the mention of the name, "and Harry has seen all of you following him first hand at the night of the great war. He's told me what you've done for him, and he probably won't be alive if it wasn't for you, but it just amazes me that everyone seems to be fine with the Malfoy family now after 8 years, as if none of this ever happened.

It seems like a lot has changed over the years, so I can understand a little of why the ministry sent me here, but to call it the safest place to hideout in the wizarding world is extremely shocking for me. All the decorations have changed, but it's the same floor we're sitting on where I was lying on the floor being tortured and screaming for my life because of what's in my blood. It's also where one of my closest friend and house-elf was killed. I can't shake these images out of my head, but everyone is being very civil and it's all very confusing for me." Hermione finished, and felt an extreme sense of relief from her body, she had finally said what she wanted to say, and she knew Narcissa might hate her for it, but it was a risk she was willing to take to figure out what was going on.

Narcissa put her hands on Hermione's, and she could feel a motherly touch, a combination of a stern warning but slight affection. "My dear, you still have a lot to learn about the world, and I hope that you will one day understand there is no clear division between good and evil, only people with goals and people who are willing to achieve those goals. My goal that night in the Forbidden forest and all the other days of my life is to protect my son, and that is what I did. I cannot explain the goals and reasoning behind my husband, sister, and son, but that is mine.

I'm sorry for what you went through. I hope you can forgive Draco for at least these few weeks, and maybe someday he will explain his reasoning to you."

Hermione was pleasantly surprised at how gentle Narcissa was in her reply, and she decided not to push any further and finished her breakfast in silence.

"Thank you so much." She said as she left, and Narcissa nodded her goodbye.

Hermione asked one of the house elfs on the way out where they library was located, and they led her to a grand room filled with thousands of books filled up to the top of high cathedral ceilings. Sunlight poured in from glass tiles with beautiful motifs surrounding the room and couches and study desks were dotted throughout the room, making the space feel comfortable and elegant, just like the rest of the manor. She picked a nice spot in the corner and picked up a magical history book that piqued her interest and sat to read for the rest of the day. She decided to skip lunch since the breakfast at the manor was enormous, and she shooed the house-elf away when she informed her it was time to eat.

She was so engrossed in her third novel that day that she dropped it onto the floor when she heard another person shuffling around in the room. She looked up to see Draco with the same attire he had in the morning, a stunning and slim grey suit with black pants and a tie the exact colour of his eyes.

He suppressed a laughter at her reaction, and said instead, "Do I have to escort you to every meal or can you handle eating three proper meals on you own?" She looked at him quizzically then looked at the clock. At the sight of the time, she gasped.

"It's 7pm already? I've been here since breakfast!" At that, her stomach started to growl.

He chuckled. "I'm glad you're enjoying the manor so much, but please refrain from starving to death when I'm not around, the minister wouldn't be pleased if I brought you back dead." She scowled at him and put her pile of to-be-read books back onto the shelf.

"You can bring them back to your room if you like, no one uses this place much anymore." She lightened up a little at that, and picked up a few of the books she was very interested in.

"You have an incredible collection here, I haven't even heard of most of these works, and trust me, I've read a lot in my life."

"This is the product of many generations of Malfoys collecting all forms of novels about magic, and I can proudly say this is one of the greatest magical book collections in the world." He said proudly.

Hermione wasn't bothered by the bragging, and was pleased that someone could be this happy about book collection. The mood seemed to lighten between them as they walked down the hallways of the manor this time, and Hermione felt a great sense of relief. She really wished she could talk to him about serious matters though, not just small talk, but she wasn't sure how to bring it out of him.

"So… how was work today?"

He burst out laughing at that. "Is Hermione Granger really asking me how my day was at work? Whatever happened to my life to bring me to this point?"

"Never mind then, I won't mention it." She said, pouting.

"It was good. Same as always. Guys who don't deserve to be in their positions telling me what to do and how to do it. At least if you were my boss I would know the smartest witch of our age was bossing me around, but those guys don't deserve it." He trailed his finger against the wall as he spoke. "How was your day?"

"I got lost, almost missed breakfast, then your mom taught me life lessons about the world then I went to the library and forgot the world."

"Sounds like any other day at the Malfoy house." He grinned.

The conversation seemed lost again, so she tried another attempt, "Have you stayed in contact with anyone from Hogwarts after you left?"

He looked a little startled by the question, but regained his composure quickly, "Not really, everyone who was there during the war still looks at me as a villain. It just doesn't go with my preference, whether they think being a villain is a good thing or bad."

"I see."

"How about you? Still best friends with Potter and Weasley?" He asked, sounding slightly curious. Hermione looked up at that, and he quickly looked away, looking straight on.

"I thought everyone in the wizarding world knew about this. They threw me out of their 'clique', as Rita Skeeter was saying. After the divorce, it seemed Harry was on Ron's side, so I've moved on."

"Wait…" Draco stopped in his tracks. "You MARRIED Weasley?" She nodded.

"I thought you knew."

"Well I wasn't invited to the wedding, clearly." She smiled at that, imagining Draco showing up at the reception and how clear the anger would be on Ron and Harry's faces, "I'm just so disappointed… I always thought you would aim for someone greater and higher. Someone at least with some sort of common sense."

"Someone like you?" She asked, and shut her mouth tight immediately. She had no idea where that had come from. She realized she didn't want him to be angry with her, or shut her out.  
A red tinge creeped up his startling white cheeks, and he replied softly, "That's not what I meant." He cleared his throat and started walking again, then said smoothly, "But that's what you're into, I obviously applaud your tastes."

She glared at him then looked away, crossing her arms. She thought she got him for a second. For a second, he seemed like he let a little of his guard down, and it was really nice surprising him with something he didn't know, even though she didn't know why he cared so much.

They had finally reached the dining room, and Draco actually pulled her chair back before she sat down, and she muttered a thanks before starting a conversation with one of the house elves.

Narcissa and Draco kept to their own conversation for the rest of the meal, discussing house hold matters and family friends Hermione didn't understand much, but she did learn what Draco did for living, and she was shocked to find his office was only a few floors up from hers in the ministry.

He was not part of a clear division in the ministry, but provided a lot of guidance and expertise to any department that asked for his help because of his expansive knowledge of dark magic and artefacts. He also knew many languages and about many potions and magical creatures because of his father's insistent teachings, so could help in those aspects as well.

Hermione guessed that he had not tried to work his way up because he didn't need the money he would get at a higher position. She knew that if he tried he could work his way up to even being the minister, something she could not do as there had never been a woman minister of magic. At Hogwarts, he was one of the only other students who could come close to the grades she had gotten. She was very pleased at having some kind of competition, actually.

She asked Draco in the middle of their conversation why he didn't specialize in a specific department, but he avoided the question and went back to his tale of muggles being attacked by an unknown magical creatures, a problem that has been spreading rapidly throughout the country.

She gave up on her inquires after a couple of tries and excused herself when she was full.

She decided to go back to her room, pick up where she left off in her novel, and decide her future plans the next day. But first, she had to figure out how to actually find her room. Hermione sighed in exasperation.


	4. The Return of Malfoy

Chapter 4

Hermione could swear she had been wondering around in a circle for a good hour, before she came upon a door with the light on. Hermione approached the door to see Draco sitting in front of a pile of papers, his head in his hands rubbing his temples. She stopped in front of the door, and saw him move some papers around, trying to figure it all out. Hermione stepped forward knocking on the door.

Malfoy looked up to see Hermione standing in the middle of his doorway, still in her outfit from that afternoon. He smirked looking up at her figuring she had been wondering around lost. "You do know Granger, that we have Dragons hiding around this castle, I wouldn't go wondering too far" He teased. Only Hermione hadn't noticed.

"THERE IS A DRAGON HERE! HOW IT'S ILLEGAL! WHY!" Hermione's eyes were wide in worry, her face flushed red from the news.

Draco laughed. Which only added to Hermione's distress. "You actually just walked into his den!" Draco teased, smirking.

"What?!" Hermione was beyond confused, looking around trying desperately not freak out when the dragon stepped out of its cage, behind some hidden trap door.

"Draco is Latin for Dragon," Draco smirked "I am sure you know that being the smartest witch of our age" Hermione was now red with embarrassment, he was playing with her.

"I…" Hermione opened her mouth and closed it multiple times before giving up. "Where is this anyway?" Hermione asked looking around. A dark red table lied in front of her. A black couch lay to her right, and to her left was a bookshelf filled with books.

"The Dragon's Den" He teased again. Smirking at her discomfort with her earlier outburst.

"Your study" She stated looking up at him with a tired look. "Do you need help finding your way to your bedroom?" She asked. Before stopping and noticing what she said. She was flustered for some reason she was beyond nervous. Draco on the other had found her amusing and began to laugh. He closed his books, placed his papers away and smiled.

"Yes, I do in fact." He smirked. "I have only ever lived here my whole life." She gave him a pointed look.

"Would you please help me find my room, is what I meant to say"  
Draco smirked "You sure you don't want to help me find my room" He winked at her before proceeding out of his study. She followed suite, trying to keep her anger in check. Why was she so flustered in his presence suddenly, she couldn't understand why he affected her so much.

They walked quietly down the hall, Draco slowly walking beside her, noticing how short her legs were, and how much slower he needed to walk to be in step with her. Once they got to her room, Draco smirked down at her. "You sure you don't want to help me find my room" she turned around and sneered at him, trying to mimic his infamous sneer, which only made him laugh.

"What!" She stopped, quite agitated with his amusement.

"That sneer… " He smirked at her before giving her one of his own. Hermione recoiled at the sneer, remembering who he really was. Remembering all the times she had gotten the sneer, typically followed by a mudblood. Her anger boiled her blood, and without thinking, Hermione lifted her arm and punched Malfoy Square in the jaw. He retracted, looking down at her before lifting his hand up to wipe away some blood that gushed out of his nose.

Hermione quickly noticed what she had done, and retracted holding her hand to her mouth, in shock. At that exact moment, Narcissa had come up to the floor, and witnessed the whole thing. She immediately walked over to her son, concern written all over her face.

"I am so sorry…." Hermione stuttered shocked at her own action. She did know he was only being nice to her, and was in fact harboring her in his home. That sneer, just brought up too many memories. Draco was in shock, complete and utter shock his face wasn't even angry. Narcissa whipped out her wand, and pointed it at her sons nose, removing the blood from his nose. At this point Draco composed himself, and whipped himself around and walked over to his room.

"Hermione?!" Narcissa cried, as Draco's bedroom door closed.

"I am so sorry! I don't even know what happened! He was joking with me! Being friendly, and then he sneered. He always used to sneer when calling me a mudblood, and I just couldn't handle it." Hermione all but cried out. Narcissa let out a sigh.

"Can we talk?" Narcissa asked.

"Yes" Hermione nodded walking into her bedroom.

"Draco is a complex person. He isn't as easy to read as most people. I know there is no excuse in the world for the way he used to treat you. As his mother, I am partially responsible for this. I can assure you that he never heard those words from me. However, I never was able to get him to treat people his father saw an inferior to himself with respect. I never tried to hard either, out of fear. So for that, I caused you pain. I am sorry. However, since his father has been gone, he has turned into his own person. Although I am not saying he doesn't deserve it, because his past his influencing you. However, you may need to speak with him about his past, so that this doesn't happen again"

Hermione nodded. Narcissa moved past to the door, before smiling back. "You've got a nice right hook sweetie. Be careful who you use it on though, not many men have the decency to hold back when attacked." Narcissa's smile was sad, and the meaning in her words far too deep. Before she shut the door Hermione called out.

"I am sorry Narcissa." Narcissa knew to what she was referring, the abuse she had endured with her husband.

Narcissa proceeded down the hall, and knocked on the door to her son's room, before opening it. He sat there with his head in his hands, his hair disheveled, and his tie hanging lose around his neck.

"Are you okay sweetie?" Narcissa asked, coming into the room, taking a seat beside Draco on his bed.

"Yes I am fine" Draco said standing up and straightening up his tie.

"She got upset, Draco, don't take it personally."

"Mother, I couldn't care less. In fact you'd think by now I would be used to getting punched in the face by her."

"That was one time Draco get over yourself"

"Mother, it doesn't matter."

"Draco your ego is bruised. You have feelings for her don't you." Narcissa quickly drew the conclusion based on his defensive mannerism.

"Mother, I would never go for a mudblood. –" Before he could finish his sentence his mother smacked him square across the face. "

"If you ever say that word again. I swear to god-" Narcissa started, but Draco had just about enough of woman smacking him in one hour.

"You will what? Kick me out?" Narcissa glared at her son. Knowing instantly everything that was going on. Her son was getting oddly defensive, and resorting back to his former behavior. She was right.

"Watch your tongue. You are in my house Mr. Malfoy." She spat back at her son.

"With your husband in prison, it is my house." He bit back.

With that Narcissa took her leave opening the door to see Pansy Parkinson, waiting with her fist at the door about to knock.

"Mrs. Malfoy!" Pansy started smiling. Narcissa rolled her eyes at the slut before her, noticing that beneath her jacket laid an inappropriate outfit, meant to seduce her son. She hated the Parkinson's more than words could state. Pansy's mother constantly would come over, whenever Narcissa was too bent up to be use to her husband. Narcissa turned around to face Draco.

"Have a pleasant evening Lucius." Narcissa spat at her son before side stepping the slut.

Draco rolled his eyes and lay down on the bed. He knew he shouldn't have spoken to his mother that way. He just was under so much pressure trying to hide Granger, with his father coming home. Granger was just so infuriating, why did he need to punch him, all he was doing was joking with her. She was pretty with the way she got flustered today. She couldn't seem to gather her thoughts. Her cheeks kept changing shade as he teased her about it. She was smart, and she was witty. He'd never actually seen a woman who was able to outwit him, or who had the courage to punch him but not just once, twice.

"DRACO!" Draco snapped his attention to the naked woman in front of him. He'd fucked Parkinson many times and she wasn't a bad lay. In fact she was often able to distract him and relive some stress. This time however, he couldn't find her attractive.

He leaned up onto his elbows as she startled him, which only caused him further was his mother's fault. She called him out on acting like his father, and the disappointment in her face was evident.

Pansy tried again to arouse him kissing him, which made him even more annoyed. He shoved her off, before getting up adjusting his tie, and buttoning up his shirt. He reached over, grabbed Pansy's clothes and throwing them over to her.

"Out." He said, sneering at her.

"Draco?" She purred over at him.

"You're disgusting. Get out, you filthy whore." He barked at her. Offended she grabbed her stuff and left using the fireplace.

Draco went over to his cabinet, and pulled out a bottle of fire whiskey, before drinking the beverage straight from the glass.

"Fuck" He whispered as he sat down beside the fireplace. His father was coming home tomorrow, which meant his job keeping Hermione safe was only going to become more difficult. His dad probably was a friend with the person behind the threats to Hermione.

He also couldn't have any feelings clouding his judgment, or his father finding out, the repercussions could cost him a lot more than his job. It was probably just a crush, he was probably just so used to seeing her in their school uniforms that her body, and those dips and curves. It was just the clothes she was wearing. It was nothing, absolutely nothing.

What scared him the most was his father coming home. He would lose all control of the house. The renovations, the way the house elves were treated, the way Hermione was treated and the freedom she had in the house. His mother's safety, everything would be gone.

Maybe, it was time he used his funds to get his mother and Hermione a different place. It wouldn't be extravagant but it would be safe. He sighed, Hermione wasn't allowed out of the manor.

Draco took another swing of fire whiskey, before everything went black.

Draco woke up with his frazzled mother, wrapped in a robe coming into his room. "Draco!" She called. He woke up, his head pounding from drinking the night before.

"Mommy" He asked blinking his eyes and rubbing his head, before noticing what he called his mother. His cheeks flushed red, as he stood up from the ground. He hadn't even managed to make it to his bed.

"The minister is downstairs, with your father and has demanded to speak with you at once. Now." Draco nodded, and made his way downstairs. His hair extremely disheveled, his tie lose around his neck and his shirt wrinkled. Overall his outfit looked slept in, and he looked like he was on a bender. He didn't care though; he was far too hung over to care. Hermione stood at her door wrapped in a robe, standing at the head of the stairs with his mother trying to figure out what was going on. For a moment, Draco was overcome by his need to just shove her against the wall, and kiss her. She looked ridiculously sexy in her pink silk robe that cut above her knee, and her fluffy pink slippers.

Draco padded down the stairs to the foyer were the Minister of Magic stood, beside his father. His father stood in the same clothes he wore when he was arrested eight years ago. He looked skinny, his beard and hair so long is reminded him of Dumbledore. "Minister" Draco nodded "Father" Draco noticed his father looking around at the changes made to his ancestral house. He sighed, dread taking over him, knowing that his father would change everything that made this place a home.

"Draco, I wanted to let you know that the conditions of your father's release are that he isn't to be the master of the household, but a resident." Draco suddenly perked up, power being given to him, meant that he could control his father's action and the safety of the two ladies in his care.

"The family money and house are yours, your father has lost the trust bestowed upon him from his father, and that will be transferred to your account" Draco smirked, loving the amount of control that was being given to him. "He is only to have a small allowance, in the future when his house parole is over. Also any visitors to the manor must first be cleared with myself." Draco nodded.

"Thank you Minister." Draco nodded.

The Minister nodded, looking around the foyer. "I love what you've done with the house. It's simply beautiful" Draco smiled. "Also your father has signed a confidentiality agreement with the ministry in regards to Ms. Granger."

"Thank you Minister" with the Minister took his leave. Draco turned towards his father.

"Welcome to my home father. The conditions of you staying here, are for you to choose a room on the north east wing, far away from my mother." He sneered.  
"Furthermore, respect will be given to her, and if I feel in any way shape or form you are abusing her, your privilege of living here will be suspended. House elves are to be treated with respect; no abuse shall be given to them as well. I suppose you would like to shower, you are aware were the showers are in the Northeast wing. I will have Jenny bring your clothes over to that side of the house." With that Draco turned, walked up the stairs, and the girls watched him with awe. His father glaring at him the entire time he made his way up. Once at the top, Draco looked at the two women, an unusual smile on his face. "You are both safe. You are both safe with me in charge. I promise." He looked towards his mother, before placing a small kiss to her cheek. "I am sorry".


	5. Mudblood and Torture

Chapter 5

Draco closed the door, and released a breath he hadn't even known he was holding. He sank down the door, leaning his head against it. His hangover was hitting full swing, and he was expected at work in two hours. The fire whiskeys weren't looking so great anymore, and regret flooded him. A light knock came from his bedroom door; he covered his ears and growled. Just what he needed, company. He struggled to get to his feet, and threw open the door, to see a pale Hermione Granger, still wrapped in her fairy dust pink silk robe, at his door. He raised an eyebrow at her, and said, "Am I in the wrong room?" To his surprise, Hermione actually laughed, acknowledging his joke from last night.

"No, you are in the right room, I was wondering if we could talk for a minute?" Hermione asked, finally making direct eye contact with him from the doorway.

"Sure, I am just not sure how much help I will be," He said, running his fingers through his hair, " considering I am completely hung over at the moment, and my head feels like a hippogriff is sitting on top of it."

Hermione laughed,

"You would know that feeling wouldn't you?" She was referring to the time that bloody oaf Hagrid had decided he was going bring a Hippogriff to that bloody class, and the deranged thing broke his arm. Draco passed a look of indifference before stepping away from the door and collapsing onto his bed. Hermione walked in the room, and withdrew her wand from her pocket, pointing it towards his head. "Stay still," she muttered before Draco could register her wand and shift away from her spell, "Acetum Acetylsalicylic!"

Draco had never heard the words she muttered before in his life, but within seconds the pressure in his head as well as the nausea vanished. He gently lifted his head from the pillow, terrified that it would come back. To his genuine shock it hadn't. "What was that you genius witch?" He asked, grinning for the first time today. Hermione gave a small smile, and was as usual proud of her natural ability.

"It's a chemical compound muggles found that could alleviate symptoms associated with a hangover, I uhm… I was fooling around after the war, and I found a spell that worked. Which makes sense since most healers get their spells from chemical compounds that alleviate symptoms they are looking for." She was babbling, and he could help but stare and admire her. She was always a know-it-all, but before with her wild curly hair and bucktooth, trying to be smarter than anyone else in the class, it was annoying. Now that she was mature and dedicated, it was worldlier. She had finally stopped talking down to people, and started taking pleasure in sharing her knowledge. Her frizzy hair was now manageable and tame, with beautiful ringlets cascading down to her shoulders brushing over her breast. Her teeth were also quite straight, having lost the severe overbite she once had. Her eyes were still full of curiosity, but much more cautious, having experienced things beyond compare.

"Well thank you, that spell is literally the single best that ever existed." Draco smiled at her, and he noticed a small blush grace her cheeks. "You wanted to talk to me about something?" Draco asked sitting up onto his bed. "Take a seat," he gestured.

Hermione nodded, and sat at the edge of his bed, which was just as soft as her own. Her robe slid to the side of her leg, exposing the skin on her thigh ever so slightly, and she noticed Draco's attention fall down her body to her legs. She quickly slid the robe back into place. Draco immediately brought his attention back to her face.

Hermione decided she couldn't put this conversation off any longer. "I am sorry for punching you last night." She blushed; apologizing was never a strong suit for her.

"Can I ask you something?" Draco asked, meeting her eyes. Hermione nodded. "What did I do? We were laughing and having a good time and then you just punched me?"

"It was the sneer. It brought me back to the times at school when you'd call me a mudblood," She said, looking down at her hands. Draco suddenly felt horrible, and the guilt washed over him. He wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms and make her feel safe, but he was probably the last person in the world who could do that. And at that moment it seemed the best thing he could do was to show her why he had tortured and tormented her all these years. He swallowed and stood up, and started unbuttoning his shirt. Hermione looked up at him completely confused, and felt her pulse quicken with fright, or maybe something else altogether. She tightened her grip along her robe; scared he was going to try to rip it off.

As he continued, she began to pay attention to the lines of his body, and soon she realized for the first time that he was quite attractive. His muscles rippled through his skin as he moved, and his shoulders were broad, with his pecs quite visible, beneath which was a six-pack. She gasped as she studied him further. On the left side of his body, in the centre of his torso, there was a large gashing stab wound. It seemed to have been present for many years, but had healed badly, and would never be erased from his skin even with the greatest of spells. She looked up to his face and noticed his expression, which shifted from his usual indifference to fear for a split second, and knew he was preparing to tell her something he didn't usually tell people. Without realizing it, curiosity got the better of her and her body shifted towards him, with her hands reaching to touch his scar, a scar, which it seemed, never really healed, as if it was opened and closed so often, his body had given up any attempt to heal.

"I am sorry." He whispered, wincing when her hand drew near, "I never meant to actually hurt you. How do I put this," He shook his head, "my father had drilled into my head that I was to call anyone who deserved the title a mudblood. When I was 5, my mom snuck me out to see my Aunt Andromeda and her daughter, Nymphadora."

"Tonks" Hermione gave a small smile, remembering her late friend. She also noticed her hand was still resting on his scar, and she slowly removed it.

"Yes, at that time, I uhm, didn't know what mudblood meant, I was only five." Hermione nodded, and Draco continued. "I was playing with her in the sand, and her grandparents were there. I asked her why they didn't have wands. She told me they were muggles. So I said 'You're a mudblood then?' Her hair went so red I will never forget the colour of her flames. I was so scared. I immediately apologized. She was much older than me, maybe around 14, so she looked at me and said, 'Do you know what that means?' I told her, "It means a muggle-born" and she shook her head and said 'It means dirty blood. You told me I have dirty blood, because my grandparents don't have wands.' I was horrified, I didn't ever wanted to call my precious older cousin that. I looked up to her at that time, and thought she was the most amazing person.

I hugged her and said 'no, no, I am so sorry. I didn't mean to call you that. You are an angel not a dirty blood. My daddy told me something else. I am sorry.' She looked at me and knew that I was wrong, my father had intended for me to call all people of muggle descent mudbloods. I didn't know. A little while later, my dad had found out that my mother was taking me to see my 'mudblood of a cousin', as he likes calling her." He smiled, sadly.

"So I got upset, and I went to him, foolish little 5 year old I was, and told him that Tonks wasn't dirty blood, and just because her grandparents were muggles didn't mean she was dirty. That night was the first night I got the cruciatus curse." Hermione winced, and sat back, listening. "He didn't think that was enough for a 5 year old, he took his precious pocket knife out and stabbed me. I can still remember how my blood poured onto the floor in front of my kneeling body," Draco reached up and brushed his scar, reliving the memories flashing in his mind.

Hermione, never the one to watch one suffer, grabbed his hand and held it in hers.

He looked to meet her eyes, and said, his voice shaking slightly, "He told me my blood was pure, and that a muggle-born's blood was not. I was never to compare my blood, the precious and ancient Malfoy blood, with that of a muggle-born's. If I did, I didn't deserve the blood I was given, and he would stab me again like that night, draining me of that blood he gave to me." Hermione looked up at him, her lips trembling, and rested her second hand on his chest. "I never wanted to call you that, I hated when I did, but I knew I was always being watched, and I was so scared he would deliver his promise. In an environment where blood and honour was all that mattered, I couldn't trust my 'friends' to not go to their parents, or even him, to get what they wanted. They would have loved to see Draco Malfoy crash and burn, forever banned as a blood traitor. I was a coward. The worst part is, as time went on, I never stood up to him. I let him do it once when I was 5, and it granted him permission to do whatever he wanted to me. I hurt you over and over, as well as others, to protect myself. For that I am sorry."

Hermione moved away from him, gripped her hands into fists, and stood up, walking towards the door. "You weren't a coward. You were young." Draco gave a forced smile. He was feeling cold again with her hands removed. "We should get ready for breakfast," She breathed as she walked out of the room.

He laid back down on his bed, his hands immediately covering his face. He jumped a little when he heard her voice, echoing in the room, "And thank you, Draco. Thank you for telling me."

Hermione, went to her room and collapsed on her bed. She immediately started to analyze the conversation, and raised her hands above her face. His skin had felt very warm. It was interesting, how she felt little sparks between his skin and her hand, something she's never felt before. In a split second, she realized she didn't want to lose that closeness that was starting to form between them. She felt bad for Draco, everyone always suspected that Draco was being abused, with a father like that, but she was certain after Narcissa's trial, where she finally confessed to the abuse. She never knew why Draco wasn't ever tried; perhaps the Minister believed he was too young. All she knew at this very moment was that she somehow forgave him for all he's done through the years, and that he had just opened himself up to her. It hadn't come from her own heritage, like she always thought; it came from his, if that made any sense at all.

Hermione slipped out of bed and began getting ready for breakfast. She easily made her way down the hall towards the dining room, where she found Narcissa pacing outside the door.

"Narcissa?" Hermione called, the women turned around to face the younger witch.

"Hermione" She replied, composing herself once more. "How are you feeling?"

"Better, Draco and I spoke this morning. Are you alright?" She asked. Narcissa swallowed.

"He is in there," She hissed like a cat. "I am not sure I am ready to deal with him." Narcissa said rapidly to the younger witch.

Hermione, shocked, did not reply. Thankfully at that very moment Draco made his way down the stairs to greet them. "Morning Ladies," Draco said, giving his mother a light kiss on the cheek. "Why are we out here?" Draco asked, smiling slightly at incredulous scene of Hermione standing with his mother outside the great dining room of the manor.

"Waiting for you," Narcissa lied. Draco raised an eyebrow, seeing through her straight away.

"Never in the last 8 years with me being the head of the house have you waited for me before entering."

"She isn't ready to deal with your father," Hermione whispered, unconsciously learning towards him.

Draco raised both eyebrows, and chuckled darkly, "Oh he thinks he is eating with us? I thought I made it quite clear he was to stay away from my mother." Draco marched through the doors and Narcissa frantically tried to grab him, doing all she could to stop him, but it was too late.

"Draco," Lucius drawled out to his son, as he spotted the door opening. His beard had disappeared from his long stay in Azkaban and his hair had returned to its former length.

"Father," Draco acknowledged, "the dining hall in the North East Wing," he gestured, "will be were you will receive your meals for the rest of your stay. This dining hall is for my mother, treasured family members, and our guest."

Lucius scowled, "You think you can tell me where to eat and sleep in my own home?" his voice laced with venom, and his previous temper seemed to be surfacing.

Draco gave a sly smirk, "Actually father, the house is mine." There was silence for a couple of seconds, and Hermione and Narcissa glanced at each other, feeling the intense tension in the room.

Lucius suddenly stood up, withdrawing a wand, and in a matter of seconds Draco had his father pinned to the floor and the wand rested in his hand. With a know-it-all smirk on his face, his voice now dripping with venom, Draco spoke. "You are not permitted to use a wand on orders of the Minister. I'm not sure where you found this one in the first place, but if these terms are difficult for you to follow, I am sure your cell in Azkaban will always be waiting for you. No magic from you in my home. You will follow my orders, or else I will report you to my boss. I will not stand for any act of intolerance towards anyone in this house. I am not longer your toy. Please exit the room." Lucius stood upright, and Hermione missed the expression on his face as he made his way out of the dining room, his long strides the only sounds echoing in the dining hall. Draco was shaking, and Narcissa placed a hand on his shoulder and whispered in his ear, "Be careful Draco". She proceeded to take her seat calmly, all her previous emotions vanishing in an instant. Draco continued shaking, and Hermione reached and grabbed his hand, as if it was the most natural thing in the world, and he almost immediately stopped shaking.

"You are no coward," She whispered in his ear, a slight blush running along her cheeks, and a smile formed on Draco's lips. She released his hand and took her own seat, followed by Draco, who passively followed her, still holding onto her hand.

Narcissa stood there and eyed them both, it seemed that her mother's intuition was right last night, and Draco was developing a crush on this girl. What was even more curious though, she thought as she sipped on her coffee is that the girl seemed to be reciprocating his feelings.


	6. The Strike of the Snake

Chapter 6

Hermione looked out the window as the sun set across the garden overlooking the library. It shone a beautiful yellow, and deep reds begun kissing the sky as the sun began to set. She looked down at her wrist and noticed it was quarter to six, which meant dinner would be soon, and she should wash up. Sighing she gathered her books in her hands and began walking towards her room.

She had been here for nearly two weeks now, and it definitely was not as bad as she thought it would be. She feared this would become her prison, and she would feel suffocated soon, especially from a lack of social contact. Although she missed her freedom, she didn't feel imprisoned. In fact, she was getting along quite well with Narcissa, and Draco and she had been civil towards each other, like friends. Although she hadn't seen much of him, except for diners, and sometimes breakfast when he wasn't called into work. Narcissa in turn had become her company, showing her around the manor, taking walks around the garden, Narcissa had even taken to showing Hermione how to knit, not that she was particularly good at it, but she was determined to be. She also quite enjoyed their conversations on their walks, Narcissa would talk about her childhood, her deranged sister and their family, and Hermione was always engrossed in the stories. Hermione recalled on one particular walk Narcissa stopped dead in the middle of a story about Andromeda, and looked Hermione in the eyes.

"Is it true?" She asked. "Did Nymphadora have a baby?"

Hermione gave a small smile remembering Tonks, and her handsome little godson. "Yes, she actually named me godmother" Hermione replied.

"You were close to Nymphadora?" Narcissa asked taking a seat on the porch swing near the rose garden.

"Tonks," Hermione smiled trying to keep back some tears, but her eyes began to sting "Was like the older sister I never had" Hermione continued. "She used to be my confidant in everything: school, relationships, the war, she would spend hours doing my hair, or just talking." Hermione gave a sad smile, as a tear fell down her eye, and she sat next to the older witch who took her hand in her own.

"I am sorry to bring up the memories." She tried consoling the younger witch. "I just haven't seen them in so long, and for Bella to have killed her, I just," Narcissa took in a calming breath, "How is my sister?" she finally asked.

Hermione gave her a small smile, "Andromeda is well, it was difficult for her and from what I know, she is still dealing with Tonk's death, but she has her hands full with Teddy."

Narcissa nodded. "I wanted to see her after the war, I just … I just figured I was the last person she wanted to see."

Hermione's faced scrunched up in confusion, "why would you say that?"

Narcissa shook her head, "Our sister killed her baby, she just uttered two words, and those horrible words took away her baby. I was on their side, Hermione." The women looked down unable to meet the younger witches eyes. "I … wouldn't want to see me either."

Hermione shook her head "but you weren't just on their side, you were on our side too. You didn't tell them that Harry was alive," she took the older witches hand in her own. "Regardless of which side you were on, you are not Bellatrix. You are not sadistic, and cruel, you couldn't have done anything else for her." Narcissa smiled at Hermione. Hermione knew that her actions were not her own, but those of her sister and husband who had manipulated her into participating in their games, through abuse.

"You are too kind," She said, sighing softly.

Hermione looked at her "You are her sister, I am sure you were exactly the person she needed to see, the person who could help her feel like she wasn't so alone."

Narcissa took Hermione's hand and whispered, "I always wanted a daughter just like you, and I am glad I never got one, because with the environment I provided, she wouldn't have become as amazing as you."

Hermione was so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't noticed she had made it to her room. She flicked her wand to turn on the lights, and screamed, dropping her books as she noticed a man sitting at her desk. His hair blew around his face and as he stood up his cane hit the floor. "Hello Ms. Granger," Lucius drawled. Hermione stood still, her wand tightly grasped in her hand.

"You need to leave." She tried to sound firm, but her voice came out shaking. Fuck.

A smirk played on his lips, and with one swift motion he had Hermione pinned to the wall, her wand dropping to the ground and rolling to the floor. "Not so confident without Potter are we Ms. Granger?" The man drawled, his lips curving up to a smirk. "It's really a shame you are a mudblood, with a body like that," He continued running his hand down her side, and copping a feel of her breasts. Hermione was repulsed, and quickly noticed that the elder Malfoy had shifted his body exposing his most precious parts. Within seconds Hermione lifted her knee and it collided with the Malfoy family jewels, causing Lucius to drop her hands, freeing her. She quickly gathered her wand, and for some reason beyond her understanding she ran out of her room and down the stairs screaming for Draco.

Draco was in his study finishing up some paperwork when he heard his name frantically being called. Draco dropped his quill, picked up his wand and ran to the main stairs, towards where the screaming was coming from. Once at the base of the stairs, Hermione flung herself into his arms. Draco froze for a moment, before wrapping his own arms around the witch. He caught a whiff of her hair; it smelt like vanilla and strawberries. It was intoxicating. He was drawn out of his thoughts when he heard his mother hiss "Lucius" from the entry to the dinning room. He let go of Hermione while running a gentle hand down her back, and wrapped his hand around her own, giving it a reassuring squeeze, before letting go.

"FATHER" Draco barked from the bottom of the stairs. "Perhaps your navigation skills have been lost, having spent 8 years in a cell, so let me re-iterate this for you. NORTH EAST WING." Both ladies were frozen on the spot, watching the exchange. Draco's voice echoed around the ancient walls.

"Oh no, I am quite aware of my location Draco, fret not" the older man drawled, his lip pulling into another smirk. Hermione heard Narcissa gasp at the smirk, probably knowing her husband enough to know the smirk meant bad news. Draco sneered, his confidence and anger clouding his judgement. "I was just having a word with Ms. Granger."

"The terms of your release are clear, you are to treat our guest with respect." Draco barked through clenched teeth.

"We were just discussing what a shame it is she is a mudblood-"

"DO NOT USE THAT WORD" Draco barked, his face vivid.

"Considering she has such a nice body. Is that what you keep her around for Draco?" The older wizard continued, enjoying the view as his son's anger increased. "Those tits are quite perky, and you always had a fascination with breasts," He turned to Narcissa, "Didn't he?" Narcissa gasped, looking to the younger witch, who looked down at her shoes, feeling disgusted and violated. Draco eyed Hermione, his eyes wide.

"Did he touch you?" His voice was gentle, filled with concern.

"Oh don't get your panties in a bunch son. Just an innocent feel." Draco turned livid, and he faced his father, lunging towards him, and his fist made contact with his face, over and over again.

"DRACO" Narcissa called, trying to get her son's attention, warning him about Lucisus's fists. Hermione grabbed her wand and flicked it, sending Lucius flying to one end of the room, and Draco to the other, with both bodies slamming loudly on the wall.

"I am sorry!" She rushed over to Draco, who fell, landing with a thud on the ground. Draco got up, prepared to fight again, when a voice sounded from behind Lucius. It sounded deep, and angry, like a father scolding his son. Hermione looked up to see a portrait of Abrax Malfoy. She'd recognized him from her potions book; he'd come up with many potions, including "The Draught of Living Death," and numerous potions for healing wounds.

She noticed a smirk playing on Draco's lips. "Grandfather." Draco nodded towards the portrait, respectfully. Lucius on the other hand looked livid for being thrown to a wall and annoyed that his father was here.

"Father," Lucius hissed between his teeth.

"Get to your own god damn side of the house and stay there. If it were up to me you'd be rotting in that cell you disgusting disgrace to the Malfoy name." Abrax hissed, his scowl so vivid across his mouth.

Within seconds Lucius turned and headed towards his side of the house. The smirk on Draco's face was evident, and he touched his nose, noticing the blood dripping slowly on the marble floor.

"Narcissa, a pleasure as always" Abrax smiled to the older witch.

"Thank you Abrax" Narcissa smiled. Within seconds the portrait disappeared. Hermione was utterly confused, as to what just happened, but to the other two, this seemed normal.

Hermione turned towards Draco, her wand still in her hand. "Here let me fix that," she stepped forward, grabbing hold of his face and gently tapping his nose with it. Her smell was intoxicating his senses, and he was overcome by a sudden urge to kiss her, but thought better of it, after what his father had just done.

"Are you okay?" He asked, looking her in the eyes. Hermione nodded, biting her bottom lip. "I am so sorry." He whispered, she nodded, and Narcissa came up to her and engulfed the younger witch in a gentle and comforting hug. One that reminded her of her mother, and she felt safe, but she wasn't too sure if it was due to Narcissa, or the Slytherin Prince who was standing right next to her, the one she had fled too, and had managed to make her feel safe again once she was in his arms. She shook the thought out of her head. It was probably because he was there to protect her and was obligated to, that's what made her feel so safe.

Hermione rolled onto her side once more, looking at the clock. Fuck. It was 3 am and she hadn't gotten a wink of sleep, paranoid that he was going to show up at her door again. She knew she was being ridiculous but she couldn't help it. Hermione rolled out of bed and wrapped her robe around herself, and slipped into her slippers. She walked down the dimly lit hall that led to Draco's room, her wand firmly in her hand.

She didn't know why she had decided to come to his room, all she knew was she wanted to get some sleep. She knocked on the door once, and didn't get a response. She knocked again, and then decided she was being beyond silly, and turned to leave when the door suddenly opened behind her.

"Granger?" Draco called out, his voice husky from sleep. It sounded quite sexy, the sound tickling her ears. Hermione turned back around facing him, his hair was dishevelled and he was sporting nothing but a pair of plaid boxers.

"I'm sorry," She whispered "I just… I couldn't sleep, I kept feeling like … like he was going to come back." She looked down.

Draco gave a small smile, and took her hand in his own before squeezing it gently, and pulling her body towards him. She gave in, sinking into his embrace. He wrapped his arms gently around her, her scent intoxicating his senses. He rubbed small circles around her back. "I am sorry," he whispered. "If you want I have a rather large bed, I am sure I can squeeze you in." He smiled, pulling back ever so slightly to see her reaction.

"Yes, please." She mumbled, entering his room. Draco smiled, closing the doors; unknown to them that two pairs of eyes were watching them. One down the hall who let a small smile take hold of her lips, as she too disappeared into her own room, followed by a pair of stormy eyes much like Draco's own, who snarled at the couple.

Inside Hermione slid off her robe and slipped under the covers. _Fuck_ , she thought she still didn't feel safe. She looked over to Draco, who pulled on a t-shirt, and got back into the bed, and within seconds sleep overtook Hermione as she slipped into unconsciousness.


	7. A Trip To Azkaban

Draco stepped into the headmaster's office with his hands were shaking. His father would surely kill him if he knew what he was doing. He took a steadying breath, as the old wizard smiled up at him, and pointed to the chair opposite his desk.

"Draco, how nice of you to visit, please take a seat." Draco nodded, sitting across from the old wizard, his hands still shaking. He held it underneath the table, afraid the wizard would notice. "Would you like a lemon sherbet?" The old man asked, Draco shook his head, taking another calming breath.

"Headmaster, I am sorry to intrude on you at this time." He whispered.

"No such intrusion," The old wizard continued stroking his beard. "What can I help you with?"

"I need your help Professor." The young wizard stated looking up at him. "I must begin by apologizing, for my behaviour in the past." Draco stated, firmly. "I would like to change things, if there is anyway you could help me." The old wizard smiled, he'd always seen so much potential in the young man, and always thought it was such a shame that he was forced to be on the wrong side of the war. "I was given a task Professor Dumbledore, I was forced, uhm…" Draco took another breath before scrambling to roll his left sleeve up to show the Dark Mark, very prominent and fresh on his skin. The headmaster's face became sullen.

"And, what might that task be? If I may ask." The headmaster leaned forward on his desk, watching the young wizard who was fiddling with his hands to keep them from shaking. He looked paler than usual, something he's noticed these past months.

"To kill you." The young wizard whispered.

"Well that is quite a task, I am not surprised Voldemort has taken this long to ask this of someone." The man stated, completely un-phased by the young man's statement. The young man however cringed at the use of his master's name.

"Professor, I don't want to." The young man mumbled. "I am not a murder. I don't want to become one." Dumbledore nodded at the young man.

"I am proud of you Draco. You have come here to tell me yourself, and this shows extreme growth."

Draco gave a small forced smile, and no matter how scared, couldn't help the small pride that welled up in his chest.

"The order can provide safety for yourself and your mother." He looked seriously at the face of the young man. "I promise you will both be safe." Draco's eyes scrunched together.

"Professor, thank you." The young man started, looking slightly relieved, but confused at the same time. "I want to join the order. I want to help, I can provide valuable information, a spy."

Dumbledore smiled at the boy. "Oh Draco, as wonderful as your offer is, I can't put you in that position."

"Professor, I understand you have no reason whatsoever, to help me. So don't trust me. Don't tell me a single thing about the order, I don't want to know who is in it, what you are planning, anything. I will come to you, and I will tell you his plans, I will tell you who is part of it, when attacks will happen."

The professor smiled at the boy. "You would be killed if he found out." Dumbledore raised both eyebrows at the boy.

"And I will accept that death," The boy stated, looking determined. "Thousands will be alive in my stead."

"I thought your views were different than ours." Dumbledore spoke, looking straight at the boy, contemplating his surprising offer.

"Professor, my father's views differ from mine. I am not my father. I am my own man, and I would like to be one my mother could be proud of. I am not prejudicial to muggleborns, heck the top of my class is muggleborn, and she can outrun so many of the Pureblood's I know. I am smart too, Professor. I could help. If you don't believe me, which I don't blame you, with my father's history, please use Vertism on me."

The old man nodded, looking towards the boy. "Abrax would be proud of you right now, Draco."

Draco smiled, "is that a yes Professor?" The old man nodded extending his hand. The young wizard looked so relived. "Thank you." He stood up to leave before turning back to face the old wizard.

"One last question, I don't know what this term means, I haven't managed to get into the restricted section to find out. I have a few books on it at the Manor, but my father wouldn't let me near them. Professor, what are Horcruxes?"

The Professor's eyes suddenly became wide and grave, "Where have you heard this term?"

"My Aunt Bellatrix, she was talking to the Dark lord about where to hide them." The man shook his head, and sat down. Draco looked terrified. "Professor?"

"Draco, I believe you will be very beneficial to the order." Draco nodded, glad that he's finally doing the right thing, "You may go. We will talk soon." Draco turned and proceeded towards the dungeons.

Draco rolled over in his bed, and opened his eyes. Hermione was still fast asleep, her hair sprawled over the pillow, and her hand gently placed on his arm. Draco noticed she didn't have the worry lines she seemed to always have, her brain wasn't turning at a hundred thoughts per minute, and she actually looked peaceful. He couldn't deny she was a beautiful woman. She had all the right curves in all the right places, and her mind was sharp and mouth witty. He would have probably been great friends with her, had it not been for his father's prejudices.

Draco looked up at the ceiling, recalling his memory that had flashed once more in his dreams. He had helped the order, in more ways than the golden trio knew, and that secret was one he wanted to keep. He didn't need any appreciation from Potter or the weasel bee. Not that the weasel would give any, he'd probably just go red in the face, spewing out a bunch of rubbish. Potter knew he was involved in the order, that's the only reason he saved his ass when Goyle had decided to set the goddamn Room of Requirements on fire. Draco was thankful for Potter's help. He would never admit it out loud, but he wouldn't be here right now without him.

It was curious to him that more people didn't question why he never had a trial. Everyone knew he was in the astronomy tower when Dumbledore died, he guessed so many things had happened, that he must have simply slipped from their minds, or they were too scared to ask. Dumbledore had made a huge sacrifice for Draco and the order's protection, but McGonagall had been so skeptical of him the entire time. He knew she constantly watched him, especially during his 7th year at Hogwarts, even if he had agreed with the headmaster for him to leave behind memories for her, memories that showed her that Draco had been a double agent for them. He didn't blame her though, for always doubting him even with proof. He sighed, his brain never stopped replaying the war, it was almost as if it was on constant repeat, all the people he witnessed being tortured, all the horrible things he had to watch in order to maintain his cover. He supposed Snape would have understood had that goddamn snake not killed him.

Hermione woke up to a man beside her. She quickly opened her eyes startled, till she recalled the events of last night. She had come to Draco Fucking Malfoy of all people to feel secure. It was ridiculous; she had no reason in the world to trust him. _Except for everything that happened these past few weeks._ She cursed her mind for betraying her. She couldn't explain why, but she felt comforted, safe, even. She hadn't ever felt that safe with anyone, not even Ronald. She reasoned that she must have just been very tired, and the company helped her sleep. It was the only logical explanation, one she desperately needed at the moment. She looked up at the face of the man whose bed she had invaded, and he was looking up towards the ceiling. He was deep in thought, and hadn't noticed that she had awoken. He was really quite handsome, with his chiselled features. And with his eyes, when he didn't know anyone was looking, looked soft and sincere. She noticed the muscles of his forearms, which were placed under her hand, ripple with each movement he made. She had no idea how he was so fit, considering she never saw him exercise. It must have been the seeker build.

"Good morning" Hermione called, bringing Draco out of his thoughts. Draco turned to face her, a small smile suddenly playing on his lips.

"Good morning, sleep well?" He asked looking down at her as she remained snuggled in his blankets.

"Yes, thank you. I am so sorry-,"

"Don't mention it. You kept my bed warm" Draco interrupted, and smiled. Truth be told he hadn't slept this well since before the war.

Hermione smiled, rising out of the bed. "We should probably get ready for breakfast, your mom will probably be wondering where we are." She smiled.

"Yes, that's probably a good idea." Draco laughed, rising himself and grabbing a pair of slacks to go over his boxers, and pulling on a t-shirt. Hermione walked towards the bathroom, and placed her hand on the door, and anxiety flooded her to her bones. It seemed that the elder Malfoy had rendered her previously independent self to a fragile woman who was not able to open the door to a goddamn bathroom, in fear of seeing him again, and she hated it.

No, Hermione refused to give in. It was okay that she used Draco for sleep, since she was unable to protect herself while unconscious, but this situation was different. She was conscious, she _was_ a smart wizard, and she was capable of protecting herself all on her own. She would not subject herself to this. Hermione breathed as Draco watched her. "If you want I can check it for you." Draco spoke from behind her. She turned around, noticing he was inches from her, and she wanted so badly to take him up on the offer, and was touched he understood immediately why she hesitated, but she wasn't that girl, and refused to be. She was Hermione Granger for goodness sakes! Lucius Malfoy was not even comparable to Lord Voldemort.

"No, thank you, I can do this alone," she whispered, turning back around and opening the door. She stepped inside and closed the door, quickly inspecting behind the curtains, and inside the cabinets. Once she knew she was safe, she proceeded to take her morning shower. As the water washed down her body, she noticed she had a rather masculine scent attached to her, one of wood and peppermint. It almost reminded her of the love potion they examined in her 6th year potions class.

Draco, Hermione and Narcissa sat, quietly eating their breakfast. Narcissa had witnessed Hermione entering her son's room the night before, and she sat quietly examining the pair. She knew for a fact that nothing had happened in that room, simply because Hermione wasn't that kind of person. She had far too much respect for herself and for that simple fact alone the older witch applauded her.

In the midst of dining, with everyone deep in their thoughts, a loud pop sounded, the indication that a house-elf was present. They found the little house-elf to Draco's right. She gazed at them, waiting.

"Jennifer, is everything alright?" Draco asked looking at the small elf. "I was wondering when you would be joining us."

"Master, Jennifer had to go to Azkaban." Jennifer said hurriedly. Draco dropped his fork, shocked, and indicated for her to continue. "Jennifer was told by Kammy, that one of the inmates, uhm Crabbe. He needed to speak to my master. Master Draco. He said it was important." The house elf spoke with trembling fingers. Draco rose from his spot, and nodded.

"Thank you Jennifer, I will go see what it's about. Please eat something," Draco proceeded to place a small kiss on his mothers cheek, who looked worried. Draco then, in his hurry, reached over and kissed Hermione on the cheeks as well, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Hermione froze, as did he, however he wasn't going to admit to what just happened, and quickly proceeded to exit the room.

Hermione's cheek tingled where his lips were pressed upon her flesh, and her hand placed on the spot his lips had been, still buzzing. Her face felt hot, and she felt shocked. Narcissa on the other hand, let a small smirk play onto her lips. Her son was developing feelings for this girl, and she was as well. She didn't say a word, in fear of making the poor girl feel defensive.

Draco stepped into the prison, and the air was thick with despair. It was very cold, colder than he's ever felt. Draco handed his wand to the guard and proceeded into the small corridor. It was beyond him how anybody could work here, and the atmosphere made him want to kill himself. Draco walked forward, following the guard, as they passed numerous cells, all of whom he knew; Dolhove, Goyle, Crabbe, Lestrange, Crouch. He stopped once he reached the cell of the young Crabbe, the idiot who followed him around like a lost puppy dog all through Hogwarts.

"Crabbe" Draco nodded, acknowledging him.

"You have 10 minutes," The warden spoke, putting a silencing charm around the cell to give them privacy. Since Draco worked for the ministry, they were allowed privacy. Azkaban's magic always baffled Draco; as the guards could only perform magic.

"Draco," Crabbe spoke, his voice cracking. He looked like a mess, and his clothes were plain and white, and might have been worse than house-elves. He sat in a small cell, with bland white walls that were scratched all over. In it, sat one piece of furniture, a dirty toilet, if it could even be described as one. Draco wondered where Crabbe slept at night. "How are you?"

"I am fine Crabbe, why did you drag me all the way here. We only have 5 minutes." The young wizard said hurriedly.

"Someone has been released." Crabbe revealed.

"My father, yes." Draco rolled his eyes, this oaf made him come all this way to tell him what he obviously would know.

"I… I don't know whom. All I know, Draco, is someone exchanged information for their release. Information of a plot." Draco eyed the man wearily.

"What plot?"

"I don't know. Draco, has your mark been burning again?" Crabbe asked. Draco narrowed his eyes. It had, but he didn't think much of it. He figured his body was rejecting the scar.

"No Crabbe, why?" The older man hissed, not willing to admit it to the seemingly deranged man.

"All of ours has been burning. Last time it burned, according to Dolhov, it was because _he_ returned." The man placed emphasis on the he.

"He is gone Crabbe, we watched him die." Draco hissed, anger and fear twisting his gut.

"It doesn't have to be him Draco. It can be anyone who desires to take his place. Anyone with the same ambitions. Those ambitions travel through our marks. We're all connected still." Crabbe whispered.

"Why are you telling me this?" Draco asked.

"Well, isn't the mudblood in your protection?" Crabbe whispered. Draco's heart fell. How the hell did he know that Hermione was with him? Draco took in a deep breath, calming his nerves so he could address the man before him.

"Who the hell told you such a thing? Why the fuck. Would a mudblood." Draco spat out the word, it physically hurting him to do so. "Be with me."

"Draco, you are the only one not in here." Crabbe hissed. Draco narrowed his eyes and raised an eyebrow at the man.

"I am also smarter than you Crabbe. Regardless, what difference would this information make if I did have a mudblood in my -as you say- protection?"

Crabbe raised an eyebrow. "Aren't _you_ smart." Crabbe mocked. "She is the only reason the Golden Trio beat the Dark Lord. Without her, they would've died. Whoever this is, dark times are coming again Draco. This time, they don't want her to survive."

Draco kept his composure, rolled his eyes and whispered. "Crabbe you've been in here too long, your heads in the clouds."

"Times up." The warden spoke. Draco nodded, and continued forward.

"Take care," Draco nodded towards his old friend and followed the warden out. Once Draco had his wand and was outside he let a quivering breath out, it was very hard to maintain his composure in there, realizing what Crabbe said might've had some truth in it. Fucking fuck, Hermione was in trouble, and the trouble she was in most likely laid in his own house.

He remained in place, gripping his wand, the wheels turning in his head. He _was_ confused at first, why they chose the manor to protect Granger. He dismissed it though, thinking the ministry had been clueless as usual. But with what Crabbe had told him, with this… plan… happening, it seemed too-, he searched for the word, _convenient_. Suddenly it all made sense. It was his father. He must have convinced someone high in the ministry to place her in his house. His father was behind the threats… and he wanted her locked in with him. Draco eyes went wide, and he hated himself for not seeing it sooner. His dad had taught him this trick himself, after all. There was no better place to trap your prey than in your own bloody house.

He smirked suddenly, realizing the flaw in this father's plan. There was also no place safer for her than with Draco, situated in the manor.

He considered going to the minister, but something stopped him, this plan might've come from the highest place Draco could imagine, there was no limit to his father's power. He could be working with the minister, it had happened before. Hermione was no less safe out there on her own than in his house, Draco realized. At least in the Mansion she had him, someone who now knew they were after her. Out there, they could surprise her at any moment. Here, his father had to play his cards right, and he now had the upper hand. Draco wasn't ready to go through another war, and he definitely didn't want to lose Hermione. That revelation scared him the most.


	8. The Library

A/N: Hi everyone! Thank you for the amazing reviews! Regarding the one about Hermione not being able to achieve being Minister of Magic. I'm sorry you regarded it as being sexist, but I actually meant it in the opposite way to reflect the sexism of the Wizarding World. So although she's amazing and capable, she's not able to become the Minister.

Also, please check out the trailer Slytherin Queen Made: youtube /watch?v=gWWMQV-c-gA&t=0s

Hope you enjoy the chapter! – Ravenclaw Queen

Chapter 8

Draco apparated back to the manor, completely distraught. He had established two things on his way back. First, that he would try his hardest to protect her at all costs, and second, that he had to figure out the secret of the mansion, the secret of Abrax Malfoy. _And Fast._ He knew his grandfather had special waords that could be put in place, and he just needed to figure out what they were and how to activate them.

He decided the best place to start was at the great library of the manor. He had visited the library almost daily as a kid, but was never permitted to read the heavier materials of the Malfoy family collection. After being named the head of the household, he seldom had time to visit, and never got to experience the mysteries of this great and ancient library. In the back of his mind, he could remember a few books that were entirely based on the Malfoy family, and decided to start his search there.

As soon as he entered the library, he noticed Hermione curled up on the couch, reading a novel whose title was hidden away behind her cloak. He almost laughed out loud at not realizing sooner that he could find Hermione Granger here. She glanced up, and he caught her smile, which took his breath away. "Hi, where have you been? I haven't seen you around the manor."

"Just catching up on some stuff at the ministry," He sat down beside her casually, and wondered to himself how they had gotten this close. "What are you reading? Some dark magic perhaps? Plotting to kill everyone in this manor and escape?"

"If I had wanted to escape I would have done it a long time ago." She smiled, and crossed her legs.

"Well, glad to know the manor is treating you well. We haven't had guests in a really long time."

"Your mother asked me about Tonks the other day, actually.." Hermione confessed

"Oh?"

"I don't see why you shouldn't ask Teddy to come over. Or any of the other family member black-listed for that matter. There's no point sticking with the Malfoy stigma any longer. You should show people you're past your father's era. Maybe, help your mom reconnect with her sister. I think she would like that."

Draco nodded, pondering. "Speaking of my bloody father, how are you doing? Are you still…" He didn't want to directly ask about her fear of walking around the manor, in case it sounded patronizing.

"I don't really know how I feel. The whole situation seems contradictory, I feel scared that he would find his way to me again, but at the same time, I feel really safe. Calm, even. I haven't felt this welcome somewhere in a really long time."

"I'm so sorry for what he did," Draco shook his head, dismayed. "I promise I will try my hardest to keep you safe no matter what, although I'm not sure if that reassures you in anyway, or if my word really means anything."

"I—" Hermione began, but we interrupted by a house elf she didn't recognize.

"Master, there is someone here to see you." Draco glanced up at the house elf, and approached him, whispering. The house elf replied, informing his master who the individual was. Draco thought for a few seconds, and nodded, realizing she could be trusted.

"Thank you for letting me know. It's okay, let herthem in." He answered casually.

Before the house elf could say anymore, a shrill female voice announced her presence, and Draco immediately grimaced. "Why hello, Draco. Haven't heard from you in a while. I thought you were sick or something. Well, that's what the ministry people said after I sent them letters. But now I see you've been hanging out with a mudblood of all people."

Hermione scoffed, and said, "I don't know if you've read the news recently but we've had a second Wizarding War, Astoria. People don't discriminate based on blood anymore. Well, not publicly, anyways."

Astoria Greengrass gasped, and screamed, "How _dare_ you call me by my name!" Draco watched the two girls, completely speechless. He noticed Hermione redden, something he's learnt recently was not a good sign. He could still feel her slaps on his cheek.

"Both of you,you please calm down. Granger," He flinched, realizing his instinct to call her by her last name time again arose solely due to Astoria's presence, "Please ignore her. She's wrong, I know. But she's blinded. The Greengrass sisters have never learnt anything other than pureblood supremacy, and it's gotten worse after their family and friends have been locked up. Please, please, don't take offense."

"Draco. Malfoy. Who has she turned you into?" Astoria tsked.

"And you," He said, turning back to her, "I'll talk to you in private."

"Good idea," Hermione said, patting her cloak and standing up. "I wouldn't want to taint the pureness of this room with my presence anyways. Please, go fuck. Do whatever you like. And Dra-, Malfoy. Don't ever tell me to forgive someone for calling me something I'm not. In my book, it's never okay, okay?" Hermione was furious, but what she didn't understand was why she was this angry. She had been called mudblood before, countless times, that wasn't what was bothering her. Maybe, subconsciously, she Hermione was getting too accustomed with herthe impression, that she was Draco's sole female companion. It didn't pass her mind that maybe he had a girlfriend.

Draco watched her, stunned, as she gathered her belongings and exited the library.

Unbeknownst to him, Hermione had ranrun back to her room, only stopping once to wipe the tears streaming down her face.

"Pansy has been telling everyone, you know?" Astoria continued, after a moment of silence.

"Telling everyone what?" Draco asked, the annoyance clear on his face.

"There's a mudblood washing your mind. She said you called her a whore. She said you were her prince one moment and the next you looked at her in disgust." Draco grimaced. "Now I see there's a mudblood washing your mind, telling you to say these things. _Is_ she washing your mindbrainwashing you? Draco, if you're in there, blink twice. I'll tell my dad, he'll come rescue you." Draco rolled his eyes at the comment. That's one thing he haded about the Greengrass girlsHe hated this part of Astoria, the one that was so dependent on her father, that wouldn't be able to function without his influence and money. Hermione was almost the complete opposite of this, her independence honed by her years of fighting against the dark always had their daddy doing everything for them. He loved that Hermione wasn't like that she was so independent.

"Stop joking around. I've just… realized a lot of things recently. There's so much going on you don't know about. "The world is changing, and maybe for the better."

"Well, Draco honey, help me understand then." She said, as she reached behind her dress, and pulled the zipper down slowly.

He immediately stood up, and faced away from her, looking out to the courtyard from the long glass windows surrounding the library. "Stop, Astoria. I'm not messing with you. Don't make me say it again." She froze, sensing the presence of the Draco she knew, and pulled the zipper back up. He ignored her, and continued to watch the garden outside in silence. She approached him slowly, and gently put her hands wide against his back.

She seemed to have lowered her usual façade, and sounded serious when she said, "You need to tell me what's going on," She pulled her slim and long fingers slowly into a fist, and propped her head between his shoulders, she felt him tighten, but remained silent. "I thought our relationship was going somewhere. We were perfectly happy, and I thought you were finally ready to settle down. And then I started hearing about you and Pansy starting up again," her voice quivered, "I was actually fine with that, surprisingly. I always knew you never loved her. That you used her to release your anger, your frustrations. And then I hear about the mudblood. I never thought you could stoop this low."

Finally, he turned around to face her, she swayed unsteadily for a second, and he grabbed her shoulders, looking her in the eyes. "I told you. Everything's different now. I think…" He thought for a second for the right words, "I think I thought we were right for each other because that seemed like what my mother and your parents wanted. It was the perfect match, and I wanted to settle down too. And then… I was scared. And Pansy came over, and I just… I'm sorry."

She nodded, expecting this response. It wasn't like she hadn't felt the pressure from their families as well, but she believed Draco was wrong about Narcissa. She seemed to have always hated her. "And the mudblood?"

"Please stop calling her that. She's a wizard, and a greater wizard than the both of us. You're blinded by your prejudice. In fact, I think you two would actually get along… in a weird way."

She watched his face, trying to gauge how he really felt. It was always easiest for her to judge him by his expressions, because he never said how he really felt in real life. She knew at that very moment that the old Draco wasn't coming back. She took a few steps from him, and his hands dropped to his side, his expression sombersombre. "Why are you avoiding my question?"

"I think I might have developed feelings for her." He was shocked at himself at finally saying it out loud, but he knew he was always able to reveal to Astoria things he could never admit to himself. She always brought out the best in him, even at the worst of times. She also deserved to know why he had treated her this way these past few months, and he knew that he loving someone else wouldn't make it okay, but that she would be able to understand, at least just a little.

She gasped, unable to help herself. "Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger? Does she feel the same?" She shook her head. "No, that doesn't matter. You can make any girl fall for you if you tried. You managed to trick me, after all," she said bitterly.

"I never tried to trick you—"

"Saavfe it. I'm out." She glared at him one last time, and turned her back on him. "Wow, I never thought I would feel pity for a mudblood. Wait till I tell Pansy about this."

Draco watched her leave, and sat back onto the couch with his hands covering his face, "What have I done?"

The ministry had trusted him to make the judgement of who he deemed safe to know of Hermione's whereabouts, and he had agreed, promising to care for her the best he could. It seemed he had just made the grave mistake of trusting Astoria to keep this secret. He had loved her, and will probably continue loving her as a friend, but he seemed her prejudices were rooted deeper than he could ever imagine.

He hadn't seen Hermione that night at dinner, or the next day at breakfast. He realized, after asking his mother, that she had her food brought up to her room, and was refusing to come out. After having a long and hard conversation with his mother, with her telling him repeatedly that he would never find anyone better and that he always ruined the best things that happened to him, he decided that he had enough and went back to the library, continuing his research.

Draco spent the rest of the day pouring through restricted copies of ancient texts, looking for any clue of the dark magic used on the manor by Abrax, and how he would be able to access it. By sunset, he gave up on his search for the day, and although he wasn't able to find exactly what he was looking for, he realized he had learnt a lot about his family history as a result.

The most recent files and novels talked about the conflict between Abrax and his father and their complicated relationship. Draco could barely recollect anything about his grandfather, since he had died young, but it seemed that he was one of the first Malfoys that was not bought on the concept of pureblood supremacy, and had worked with professors at Hogwarts to gather more students that were muggle-born and teach pureblooded wizards more about muggles. He had even donated hundreds of thousands of Galleons to the ministry to support muggle-studies and enhance the department of muggle affairs. _In that case,_ Draco thought, _how could Lucius have possibly developed all his hatred towards muggles?_

He couldn't find any articles other than Abrax's contributions to the wizarding world other than repeated mentions of the creation of the draught of living death soand decided to ask his mother that night at dinner what she knew about his history and the Malfoy family.

"It was my family actually, thate polluted his mind." She said, cutting a piece of steaming potato and putting it in her mouth. "The Black family and Malfoy family were always really , along with Crabbe and Goyle families. It was inevitable that we would end up married,married; the whole thing was almost arranged. Abrax was always shouting at them, hating them for fuelingfuelling his aggression against muggle-borns and muggles. But he was always kind to me, and was supportive of the marriage. Besides, I think Lucius was predisposed to be aggressive. The only thing the Black family had done was guide his hatred."

Draco nodded, wondering why he hadn't thought to ask sooner, "Then what do you know about this black magic spell he used against father?"

Narcissa chuckled, "I've never really believed he used a spell, but your father certainly did. It scared him plenty when Abrax was around, and still scares him now as a grown up. Abrax was kind to others, but he was extremely cruel to his own children."

Draco scoffed, "I know the feeling." Narcissa's expression dropped, and she went back to her meal, eating in silence, unable to look him in the eyes. Draco was unfazed, having already seen this reaction many times. She was never able to talk to him about the abuse, or anyone, for that matter. But he didn't need her to say it out loud to know that she was sorry. So they lived life, never bringing it up. "So, there isn't an ancient creature or something living in our basement made specifically to target father?" He asked, changing the subject.

Narcissa forced a smile, "I believe not." Draco frowned, upset that his plan was foiled. "Why are you asking anyways?"

"I sawwent to see Crabbe at Azkaban. I've been avoiding telling you today but I don't think he's messing with me this time,He requested to see me." Narcissa dropped her utensils, and stared at him, realizing the gravity of the situation. "His dark mark has been hurting, too." He hated to worry his mother like this, but he realized he had to tell _someone_.

"The dark lord…?"

He shook his head, "No. Not this time. But someone that has been gaining power, someone that wants to take his place."

"Who?"

"I think it's father." Narcissa gasped sharply, and her hands began to shake. Draco noticed, and regretted telling her immediately. He stood up from his end of the long table, and walked over to her end, bending down next to her. He put his arm around her shoulder, and looked at her in the eyes when he said, "I'm sorry for worrying you. It might be nothing. You know I always think too much about things." He tried to changedchange his expression to something lighter. "Besides, there's no way he could've gained power in Azkaban, they keep such a tight watch on them. And with the dementors, he would've had no motivation."

She breathed a few deep breaths, and looked back at him. "I'm just worried for Hermione, mother. I never want any other wizard to experience what we've experienced. Two is enough. As soon as I feel like the manor is no longer safe for her, that I will no longer be able to protect her, I will inform the ministry."

"Don't pretend you don't care for her Draco," Narcissa retorted, regaining her usual composure. "Everyone knows except for her. I know you never do this, but you need to apologize. And that's an order from your mother." Draco smiled, relieved his mother was back. He decided he would never worry her like that again. He would deal with this situation on his own.

"Okay mother," He replied, and kissed her on the cheek before returning to his end of the table and finishing his meal.


End file.
